It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Joseph Martin “Tony” Graham on February 3, 2017 after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tony will be greatly missed by his loving and devoted wife Elizabeth (nee Fish), his son Patrick James Graham and daughter Maureen Caroline Graham, his grandchildren Graham John Bird and Jamie Elizabeth Bird. Tony is predeceased by his mother Ada Mary Snyder, his father J. Edward C. Graham and his siblings Donna Gignac (Jack), Mary Beland (Jerry), the late Geraldine Milton (Bernie), Allan Graham (Amy), Carmel Collins (Dalton), Rocky Graham (Patricia), Marjory Malone (Roger). Tony will be missed by many caring nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces and nephews and friends.

Tony Graham was one of Ottawa’s most respected business leaders. He was a proud and generous businessman with a clever mind and wit, who will not be forgotten by the community. To Tony, family came first: his own family and extended family, and the Tony Graham Family.

Tony was born in Ottawa on December 13, 1933, the second youngest of eight children. As a teenager he headed out West to work on the oil pipeline, then moved to Detroit, Michigan in the United States to live with his aunt and to study Business in College. After showing his intent on becoming an American citizen, he was recruited to join the U.S. Army, where he served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Battalion Division. When Tony returned to Ottawa after his military service, he briefly worked for Simpsons Sears selling sewing machines. That’s where he met his beautiful future wife Elizabeth Fish, the two were married on July 9, 1960. Tony left Sears and took a job as a salesman at Tubman’s VW and that’s when his love for the car dealership business began.

Tony’s journey with Toyota Canada started in 1969 at the corner of Baseline Road and Woodroffe Avenue. He transformed a small Sunoco gas station and the
“Small Car Centre” into what became one of Ottawa’s most successful dealerships. “Tony Graham Toyota” went on to become a well-established dealership and a strong member of the West-end Ottawa community.

The ‘Tony Graham’ brand quickly became associated with excellence. Tony’s work ethic was second to none. He was not only hardworking and highly organized but he had a way with people. He believed the only way to know what was going on at the floor level of the dealership, was to talk to the staff and to the customers, and to meet them personally. He also had a keen sense of where the City’s future economic growth was headed. He was the very first to build car dealerships on Hunt Club (at Merivale) and at the Palladium Auto Park.

Today the Tony Graham Automotive Group consists of two Toyota dealerships, Tony Graham Lexus, Tony Graham Scion, the Tony Graham Collision Centre and Aada Leasing, named after Tony’s mother.

Tony was first and foremost a proud husband, father and grandfather. He and Elizabeth shared a special relationship from the first day she laid eyes on the cute guy with red hair and freckles at Sears and said that he was the guy for her. They were life partners and business partners, yet always had time for family. Weekends were spent with the kids at the cottage with both their large extended families and holidays were spent in Florida where friends and family were always welcome. Their two grandchildren had special places in Tony’s heart. He revelled in the their company whether reading to them in the early days or teaching them the business later on.

Tony was an extremely proud and generous member of the Ottawa community. He not only contributed personally to many causes, in a significant way himself, but he knew that lending the Tony Graham name to major fundraising campaigns encouraged other to give as well.

In 2009 Tony was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He had to learn to live with the disease, as did his family and friends. Today they mourn the loss of such a great spirit.

A special thanks to Dr. Hassan Sannoufi, Dr. Jill Rice, the nurses of Bayshore Health Care, Elizabeth Bruyère and Retire at Home. An extra special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lamontagne, Ms. Kim Halladay and Robert Fish and his wife France LaChaine. Family and friends are invited to visit at Beechwood, Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services, 280 Beechwood Avenue (East of Vanier Parkway), Monday, February 6, 2017 from 2 p.m.to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at 11 a.m. in the Sacred Space of Beechwood.

Tony and Elizabeth’s tombstones will read “We didn’t have it all together, but together we had it all.”